Cristobal talks importance of development and meshing portal with youth

At the ACC Media Day, Miami Hurricanes' head coach, Mario Cristobal, addressed various topics, shedding light on the team's rebuilding process, the significance of Miami's football culture, and the balance between high school recruiting and utilizing the transfer portal. With high hopes for the upcoming season, Coach Cristobal emphasized the importance of elite personnel, hard work, and honoring a legendary figure in Miami football history.

Coach Cristobal began by stressing the importance of elite athletes and the high standards that come with rebuilding a program. "Whenever you start up at a program again and it has a rebuilding aspect, you have to sometimes go through a season like that," he stated, leaving no room for excuses or sugarcoating. The focus was on addressing the team's needs directly, starting from the locker room to the coaching staff and support staff.

"We have Elite people and our Elite athletes, and that holds really, really high standards," Coach Cristobal stated, emphasizing the team's commitment to excellence from the get-go.

The coach highlighted the crucial role of personnel in the team's progress. "It starts with people in the locker room, people on the coaching staff, people in the support staff role," he explained. To elevate the team's performance, Miami made significant changes on both sides of the football including new coordinators Shannon Dawson and Lance Guidry.

A key element for Miami's success is their team culture, according to Cristobal, which is "Led and driven by our team leaders." Cristobal said it was “an honor” to be joined at media days by QB Tyler VanDyke, DB Kamren Kinchens, and Center Matt Lee – noting that they are the sort of leaders needed throughout the team.

Regarding the challenge of turning talent into success on the field, Coach Cristobal emphasized the importance of player development and putting the right players in the right positions. But first and foremost, his efforts to stockpile the the roster with talents has been a mix of high school and transfer portal recruiting.

"When Miami looks a certain way, the locker room is littered with that caliber of person," he said. Cristobal referred to the Canes’ incoming recruiting class as “an elite freshman class where some guys are going to be able to contribute and be impactful members.”

“Then you have some seasoned, experienced transfer portal guys where the transition has been seamless,” he said of the mesh of transfers and young talent.

When questioned about the new Miami culture and the integration of transfer portal players, Coach Cristobal emphasized the blend within the team. "The blend is the right percentages of different kinds of roster makeup components," he explained.

On the subject of using the transfer portal, Coach Cristobal noted the rule changes and the need to adapt. While recognizing the value of the portal, he stressed the continued importance of high school recruiting and player development.

It was announced earlier this week that the Hurricanes and Louisville Cardinals would be playing for the Schnellenberger Trophy moving forward. Coach Cristobal fondly recalled his interactions with Coach Howard Schnellenberger, stating, "I love Coach Schnellenberger... he is just a significant contributor to the game of football in our community."